Stafford Animal Control, Popcorn Park rescue LBI pets after storm

Following the wrath of Hurricane Sandy, Stafford Township Animal Control began immediately receiving e-mails and phone calls from worried residents who had left their pets behind on Long Beach Island after having to evacuate. The agency has been on the case.

Animal cruelty investigator Kelly Karch has been leading the organization’s rescue efforts since Wednesday, Oct. 30, when she said she finally received clearance to enter the Island. Officers from the Long Beach Township Police Department and New Jersey National Guard helped escort her through unsafe areas, and by Monday, Nov. 5, she said she had helped retrieve more than 80 pets.

“We rescued lots of cats and dogs, and even some turtles, snakes, ferrets and a few hermit crabs. We rescued a lot of birds, parrots and finches,” said Karch. “Anything anyone considered a pet, something they loved or were attached to, we helped find.”

Although many of the pet owners supplied Karch with keys to their homes, she said she sometimes had to search for hidden keys on the premises or crawl through unlocked windows. Many of the houses contained several feet of water. The trapped animals were obviously distraught, but they quickly accepted her rescue tactics, she said.

“Animals are funny. They seemed to know we were there to help them,” Karch said. “Of course, they’re nervous, but I honestly think they knew we were there to help. Even the cats that are usually hard to handle let us pick them right up and secure them.”

Luckily, Karch said, none of the animals were sick or injured, and there were no fatalities.

Most of the animals were taken to the Stafford Township Municipal Complex, where their family members immediately picked them up. Others stayed at the Southern Ocean County Animal Facility until their owners could make it back to town to retrieve them.

Stafford Animal Control has not been contacted for pet retrieval since Sunday, and no strays have been found wandering the streets.

Karch is continuing to survey the Island. She made stops in Holgate, Beach Haven, Loveladies and Harvey Cedars on Wednesday to supply the area’s population of feral cats with fresh food and water. She said she would check on them again on Friday, before coming back after the weekend to check again.

Animal control investigators from the Associated Humane Societies Popcorn Park Zoo in Forked River worked alongside Karch on Saturday.

“We’ll go wherever we’re needed,” said John Bergmann, general manager of Popcorn Park.

Bergmann said the animals living at the zoo had survived the hurricane without injury. The animals were kept in their dens during the time of the storm, but many of the birds, ducks and peacocks weathered the storm outside on the park grounds.

Popcorn Park is acting as a distribution center for victims of Hurricane Sandy who need food, litter and bedding supplies for their pets. Supplies and monetary donations are welcomed at this time, too.

“People obviously need help now, not only for themselves but for their pets,” Bergmann said.

The building’s hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. For more information, visit http://www.ahscares.org/, or dial 609-693-1900. To contact Stafford Township Animal Control, call 609-597-1000, extension 8525.

Hotline set up to reunite lost pets with owners

The Humane Society of the United States has set up a hotline to reunite people with their pets following Hurricane Sandy. The phone number is 1-855-407-4787.

“There are pet owners who still may have animals out on the Island; through this number (authorities) can send a first responder to pick up the animal, or if it has been picked up somewhere and taken to the shelters, this can help locate the animal,” said Brian Lippai, manager of the Ocean County Animal Facilities in Stafford and Jackson townships.

The Humane Society of the United States is in the beginning stages of setting up command centers in Ocean County, and one will be in Barnegat, Lippai was told. The aim is for pet owners to be able to get crates, food and other help.

This article was published in The SandPaper.